THINKING PROCESSES*

概要

The world as we knew it has collapsed. The wars rage in Ukraine and in Gaza. People are starving in Afghanistan. In the US, mass shooting has become an everyday occurrence and a person with multiple criminal charges could be the next president. At home, the rising cost of living oppresses the underprivileged, and the tension in the Taiwan Strait is increasing. What does it mean to “think critically” as we enter into this post-COVID world? We have observed confusion and chaos among political leaders, scientists, economists and intellectuals as they try to respond to this unprecedented situation. Those leaders in the society seem to offer vastly differing opinions and contradict with each other. Whose opinion shall we trust and why? We are no longer so sure of the safe direction we should head for. This course functions as an introductory study of the rich and organic processes by which we think about the world around us. By becoming more aware of the thinking process itself, students will work towards developing a set of analytical and interpretive skills. This will provide a foundation for later coursework at the university as well as for navigating this increasingly unpredictable world. To this end, students will spend their time both in and out of class engaging with a wide variety of texts that complicate and challenge their views of culture, society, history and science. Close readings will be facilitated and encouraged through weekly writing assignments and class discussions.

目標

At the end of the course students will 1) acquire a firm grounding in critical thinking and academic analysis at the university level, 2) improve their ability to express such critical thinking in writing, and 3) gain familiarity with how to conduct online communication with their peers.

授業外の学習

- Reading assignment (100 minutes) - Reaction comment / Writing assignment (60 minutes) - Review previous class materials (30 minutes) PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ENROLL YOURSELF ON MOODLE. This is important because you will find the necessary information on our first meeting only there. If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact the instructor ([email protected]). The Moodle course website: "Thinking Processes ATHP101C (Autumn 2024)". Instructor: OKITA Kiyokazu. No enrollment key is required. Thinking Processes is a necessarily challenging course that requires students to do reading and writing assignments for every class. On average, students will need to spend about 3 hours preparing outside of class for each lesson. For collaborative writing assignments, students must meet classmates outside of class to discuss the course material. All Thinking Processes students, regardless of their professor, can expect to write 10,000-12,000 words over the semester.

所要時間: 190 minutes per lecture